WILL BE 8TH ANNUAL MEETING OF NATIONAL INDEPENDENT EQUAL RIGHTS LEAGUE AT PHILADELPHIA DEC. 15 AND 16 – NATIONAL CIVIC OBSERVENCE OF SEMI CENTENNIAL OF 13TH AMENDMENT DEC. 17 – INTEREST SHOWN IN MANY STATES – GENERAL REPRESENTATION ASKED.
Colored Americans Asked to Observe Sunday, Dec. 19, as Freedom Sunday With Celebration of 13th Amendment Anniversary.
Encouraging reports are already coming in to the headquarters of the National Independent Equal Rights League as to local interest in Philadelphia and as to interest in various parts of the country in the 8th annual meeting of the National Independent Equal Rights League. Local branches of the League are beginning preparations to have local celebrations of the semi-centennial of the 13th Amendment on Dec. 19, and as a part of the local movement preparing to send delegates to the 8th annual meeting in Philadelphia Dec. 15–16 and the national observance of the semi-centennial there Dec. 17.
The visitations made over the country by Pres. Gunner, National Organizer Ransom and Secretary Trotter have made a very cordial feeling toward this national equal rights body, which fought the federal segregation so hard, which did such good work in the killing of the African exclusion and Washington Jim-Crow car and other anti-Negro bills in Congress and campaigned so hard against the [film screenings of] “Birth of a Nation” in Boston and other places. The colored people respect the leaders of the league who “smoked [President Woodrow] Wilson out” on race discrimination and the breaking of his pledges.
The League wants it understood that the National Independent Equal Rights League has entirely divorced itself from any party politics. That was decided upon last year at the annual meeting in New York City, where the word “political” was dropped from the name. The League is wide open to any and everyone who wants the same public rights, privileges and opportunities which “white” Americans enjoy and believe in contending for them. This convention is to be a national congress of all such persons, those who have never joined the League being more than welcome. The League stands for the idea of colored Americans combining together in an organization for self-protection against color prejudice, as every other racial element or proscribed class has done. It represents the idea of self-help. Co-operation of friends is also welcome and several white men who believe Colored people should battle for themselves as well as be aided by others are members.
Citizens of every town and city are urged to attend and groups of person are requested to combine to send a delegate. The idea is to have a national assembly of Colored people from all over the country to meet, counsel together on the question of securing and preserving full citizenship rights, to stem the tide of growing color discrimination, to meet the aggressions against us of the Bourbon white South.
The convention is to begin the morning of Dec. 15 in the Allen A. M. E. church, 16th and Bainbridge streets, Philadelphia, Rev. W. S. Carpenter, pastor. For any information as to the convention delegates, etc., write to Rev. Byron Gunner, Hillburn. N.Y., Pres or Wm, Monroe Trotter, Cor. Secy. 49 Cornhill, Boston, Mass.
Source: “National Race Congress,” The Guardian (Boston), November 20, 1915